WORLD OF INDUSTRIES - MOTION, DRIVE & AUTOMATION 5/2017

Hannover Messe 2018:

Hannover Messe 2018: taking industry 4.0 to the next stage Digital twins that enable variable batch-sizes, Small de-centralized and digitally controlled power plants. Smart ergonomical exoskeletons that physically support factory workers in repetitive tasks. The fact that digital transformation is changing the world of industry is no more a secret. And Hannover Messe is the best place to see how. The interplay between automation and energy technology, IT platforms and artificial intelligence is driving the digital transformation of the industry. With the lead theme ‘Integrated Industry – Connect & Collaborate’, Hannover Messe 2018 highlights the potential of the fourth industrial revolution. At Hannover Messe 2018, participants will notice two major changes. First, two previously separate exhibitor segments – Industrial Automation and Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA) – have merged into one comprehensive segment: the Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives (IAMD). Out of curiosity, a question arises, Why merge two independent industry segments into one ? Well, mainly because the boundaries of industry are disappearing, innovation cycles are shrinking, and products are becoming more and more networked. The new IAMD gives visitors a combined overview of cross- industry solutions for integrated automation, industrial IT, power transmission, and fluid technology. Second change that regular visitors shall observe at Hannover Messe 2018 is that, Ce- MAT, the world’s leading trade fair for intralogistics and supply chain management, will run parallel to Hannover Messe. The reason behind this being, numerous exhibitors at Hannover Messe are potential customers for CeMAT’s product segment and vice versa. This new format creates a huge collective pool of roughly 260,000 visitors and 7,500 exhibitors from the manufacturing and logistics industries – all at one place, at one time. Together Hannover Messe and CeMAT represent a unique global platform where top decision-makers learn about the trends and innovations in Industry 4.0 and Logistics 4.0. In addition to IAMD and CeMAT, Hannover Messe 2018 features Digital Factory (IT and software for industry), Energy (energy systems and mobility), Industrial Supply (sub-contracting and surface technology), and Research & Technology (R&D and technology transfer). The startup platform ‘Young Tech Enterprises’ moves to Hall 17, where the program will consist of an exhibit area, a forum, pitches, matchmaking events, and workshops. Young companies and entrepreneurs present a diverse array of NEWS AND MARKETS

innovations, concepts and products for use in many different branches of industry. Continuing its tradition to associate with a partner country every year, Hannover Messe will showcase yet another partner country with a strong economy and a wide manufacturing base: Mexico. With a GDP of more than a trillion dollars, Mexico is one of the strong emerging markets in terms of manufacturing and overall industrial growth. At Hannover Messe 2018, Mexico will emphasize on five themes – manufacturing, energy and environmental technologies, career development, startups, and foreign investment. Mexico is looking to utilize Hannover Messe as platform to work-on modernization and expansion of its free-trade agreement with the European Union. The Partner Country Mexico exhibit will be in Hall 27. Integrated Industry – Connect & Collaborate Humans, machines and IT are the cornerstones of tomorrow’s factories. However, only with networking will they reach their full potential. With ‘Integrated Industry – Connect & Collaborate’, as its central theme, Hannover Messe is highlighting how connectivity in industry facilitates completely new forms of business, work and collaboration models. Today, factory, energy and Industrial IT platforms are more efficient than ever and data analysis is developing rapidly. Artificial intelligence and machine learning is now enabling machines to make decisions and engineers are digitally simulating the entire production chains. New players and new business models are emerging. All this high speed development is blurring the boundaries between industries. To understand and experience the impact of these fast-track developments, Hannover Messe is the place to be. The lead theme ‘Integrated Industry – Connect & Collaborate’ is relevant to many branches of industry. For example, use of collaborative robots, the digital twin etc. Energy is another area where digitalization and networking are proceeding rapidly. For example, virtual power plants that feed energy from various producers precisely into the electric grid. Or in the areas of mobility, electric vehicles that store energy and can then distribute it to consumers to stabilize fluctuations in the grid. Smart Supply in the age of digitalization opens up new perspectives for industrial subcontractors: Supply chain management, simultaneous engineering, optimized production runs, and minimal error rates – all of this is possible when suppliers and customers see each other as development partners and collaborate as equals. Industrial IT platforms play a crucial role. Collecting, analyzing and merging large amounts of data from different sources, combined with the respective industry expertise, makes it possible to develop internet-based services that bridge traditional industry boundaries. Hannover Messe 2018 will feature more than 80 conferences and forums with over 1,700 lectures and panels about everything from cyber security, digitalization and energy efficiency to Industry 4.0 and startups. Visitors can also participate in guided tours organized according to topics such as process automation, predictive maintenance and innovations in mechanical engineering. Photographs: Deutsche Messe AG www.hannovermesse.de/home WORLDOFINDUSTRIES – MOTION, DRIVE & AUTOMATION 5/2017